ABOUT THE MAJOR

Welcome! We appreciate your interest in our department and encourage you to explore this site to discover the many opportunities available in the field of Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS)*.

Our faculty members educate students to be highly skilled in the intelligent selection, performance and evaluation of clinical laboratory procedures. We partner with our clinical affiliates in the metropolitan Milwaukee area to provide real-life clinical experience during 6 months of senior year. The Clinical Laboratory Science degree qualifies graduates to seek national certification and be eligible for employment in hospital, clinic, research, industrial, and teaching laboratories. The integration of biology, chemistry and medical science makes this a versatile degree, providing our graduates with many career opportunities, including medical school and graduate education. The major provides the foundations necessary for individuals to develop laboratory administrative and teaching skills.

United States in need of Clinical Laboratory Scientists

Clinical laboratory scientists are certified health care professionals whose laboratory analyses play critical roles in the diagnosis and management of disease. Seventy to eighty percent of information used to make medical diagnoses is generated in the diagnostic laboratory. Currently, the shortage of certified personnel to perform the testing is at a critical level.

The 2010-11 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report describes the outlook for clinical laboratory professionals: “Rapid job growth and excellent job opportunities are expected. Employment of clinical laboratory workers is expected to grow by 14% between 2008 and 2018, faster than the average for all occupations.”

The American Society for Clinical Pathology predicts that 81,000 laboratory professionals will be needed to replace retirees by 2014 and that new positions will necessitate an additional 68,000 laboratorians.

Marquette’s CLS seniors typically have jobs lined up well before graduation day. In 2010, 100% of our graduates were employed in professional positions right after graduation.

*Clinical Laboratory Science is also known as Medical Laboratory Science or Medical Technology